1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal.
2. Description of Related Art
A mobile terminal may be classified into a portable terminal and a stationary terminal according to a moveable state. The mobile terminal is a device that can be carried around and has one or more functions such as to perform voice and video call communications, inputting and outputting information, storing data, and the like.
Recently, as functions of the mobile terminal become more diversified, the mobile terminal can support more complicated functions such as capturing images or video, reproducing music or video files, playing games, receiving broadcast signals, and the like. By comprehensively and collectively implementing such functions, the mobile terminal may be embodied in the form of a multimedia player or a device.
The mobile terminal may be classified into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal according to a moveable state. The mobile terminal is a device that can be carried around and has one or more functions such as to perform voice and video call communications, inputting and outputting information, storing data, and the like.
Various attempts have been made to implement complicated functions in such a multimedia device by means of hardware or software.
When an Oncell type or Incell type display panel having a display function and a touch function in an integrated manner is applied to the mobile terminal, a touch operation is implemented only on a display region (region where an image is displayed).
Accordingly, in case of implementing a touch key function on a region rather than the display region, a touch sensor module has to be additionally mounted at the outer periphery of the display region.
However, due to a thick thickness, the touch sensor module cannot be mounted at a space above a region where a driver integrated circuit (IC) is disposed. Rather, an additional space for mounting the touch sensor module has to be obtained outside the display region.
This makes the mobile terminal to have a large size, and causes an idle space (non-utilizable space) above the driver-IC.
It is preferable to design the mobile terminal such that a distance between the display region and an additional touch key is short. However, the conventional mobile terminal has not implemented a sophisticated design due to limitations in shortening a distance between the display region and an additional touch key.
Due to the non-utilizable space above the driver-IC, the mobile terminal has a large size and a degraded design. This may require improvements.